Bateman was born in
London, and was dealing in silk when he married Mary Ann Benningfield in 1824. They had nine children including three sons who emigrated with Bateman and his wife to the new
Swan River Colony in
Western Australia in 1830. They bought a plot in Fremantle in the second tranche of land made available by the
Governor of Western Australia. Bateman's eldest son,
John Wesley Bateman, took an interest in the coast and as a teenager he would journey out with the American whaling ships. These ships were involved in a very successful business and they would use Fremantle as a place to rest and gather stores. Another of Bateman's sons,
Walter Bateman, took an interest in the town and went into politics in his spare time. Together with
Daniel Scott, Bateman invested in the
Fremantle Whaling Company, which was based at
Bathers Beach. The company was formed in 1837 and it was involved when the first whale was killed and brought ashore by Australians. The idea of whaling was not new and American whalers were very successful and used Fremantle as a
victualing port. Scott and Bateman's company built a jetty at Bathers Beach and also paid for a tunnel to be built beneath the prison that is now called the
Round House so that their goods and supplies had easy access to the
High Street. ==Death and legacy==